Orioles call up top prospect Rutschman to majors

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles called top prospect Adley Rutschman up to the majors Saturday, paving the way for the 24-year-old catcher to make his big league debut.

The switch-hitting Rutschman was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft and is ranked as baseball's No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The Orioles selected his contract from Triple-A Norfolk and designated catcher Anthony Bemboom for assignment.

Rutschman is set to wear No. 35, the same number Hall of Famer Mike Mussina wore when he pitched for the Orioles.

Although the Orioles haven't announced their lineup yet for Saturday night's game against Tampa Bay, there's now the potential for a bigger-than-usual crowd. However, the Preakness is also in Baltimore on Saturday.

Rutschman reached Triple-A last year but had a triceps injury before this season. He's hit .309 with a .942 OPS in 19 games across three levels of the minors in 2022.

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